The Record Union

Yellow is a color that appears to be gaining constantly in fashionable favor, particularly in the realm of millinery—yellow tulle, lace, Spanish blonde, crepe lisse; and deep orange and rich olive velvets are mingled with double yellow hollyhocks, primroses, honeysuckle sprays, and large yellow-hearted water lilies, and roses. Openwork lace and rough straw hats are decorated with immense wired ruches and choux of yellow chiffon, while yellow daisies, nasturtiums, and purple and yellow pansies are also used in conjunction. The brims of some of the handsome yellow Milan straws are faced with black velvet, with loops of the same among the soft yellow plumes and blossoms that vary from palest cream to deepest orange.

A very pretty "general-use" costume to wear as long as the hot months remain with us, when one's means are not unlimited, is a tailor-made skirt of fine white serge, camel's hair, or ladies' cloth; a white China silk blouse or shirt-waist, a white unlined jacket like the skirt, and a white felt hat trimmed with white wings and black velvet ribbon. White Castor gloves and a plain white parasol, or one relieved with touches of black, make an attractive addition. These gloves wash admirably and are, therefore, always desirable.

A russet silk shirt-waist, russet gloves and shoes, make an easy and complete change in the same costume; also a cherry silk blouse with a bit of red added to the hat. Mauve silk gloves and a mauve silk ribbon or chiffon jabot at the throat would make another transformation in the costume, with its white silk waist.

Superb white watered silk, such as delighted the stately dames of olden times, will be a favorite material for bridal dresses next season. The moire fabrics of to-day, however, show much smaller waves. The watered gown is often richly flowered or otherwise figured, and when simply moired is usually veiled with lace or tulle, thus softening the effect of the heavy moire and giving a particularly beautiful effect to the airy fabric to which it forms a background.

As people grow older they are very often able to wear colors which in their youth they found unbecoming. Green, for instance, may be unsuitable in early life, but later on certain shades of the color may be chosen with distinct advantage. Blues, violets, and pinks that made youth attractive often prove unsatisfactory to women of middle age. To a girl of twenty black is sometimes strikingly becoming, but much less so to older women, unless cream silk or satin, lace or net, or some redeeming color is introduced, for if a woman looks at all well in black garments she usually looks surpassingly well. How to relieve—with white or certain color—contrasts—black attire is important to all sensible middle-aged women.

Many of the English serge dresses worn on the beach are in colors of tan, gray, marine blue, cadet blue, and Cuban red, and a number of the red gowns are made up with guimpes or yokes of tan crepon, shirred above the low-cut full blouse, which has deep, turn-down revers at the top. The small shoulder-puffs are of red serge, with closely fitted forearm portions of tan color. Seashore and mountain suits are made of French mohair, combined with dainty wash silks in cream and pink, ecru and green, violet and reseda, etc.

Plain Havana brown and dove-colored Siciliennes for traveling and morning dresses have little Zouave jackets open over cherry-red silk blouses, braid-stitched with silk the color of the gown. With these suits are worn rough-rider hats of fine French felt of similar shade.

Again the season has returned when the experienced shoppers—including practical mothers of families with daughters to keep handsomely attired—take advantage of the great reduction in all styles, colors and qualities of summer fabrics heaped in the shops and importing houses of the city. They return about this time to town, if only for a day or two, and employ the time in making purchases of large quantities of hot weather goods, which the merchants, after a season of fine profit, are willing to sell for a song, rather than take up valuable space in packing away for another year. These beautiful summer silks, Indias, organdies, grenadines, veilings, batistes, etc., are sold in remnants, or in quantities enough in silk, for instance—for a gored skirt and round waist or a princess slip; and nothing could be daintier or prettier for evening toilets for the coming season, or for next winter even, than these very fabrics. If one makes a purchase of a number of patterns in figured India muslin, it is possible to use to great advantage the partly worn foundation skirts and bodices for these fresh materials; and with the ribbons and laces now offered at a genuine good faith sacrifice, any number of beautiful things may be purchased and laid aside at present for the social demands a season hence. It seldom happens in the history of dress that there have been so few changes in the modes and features of gowning, as between the skirts, waists and sleeves of the summer and those for the coming season. There have as yet appeared no radical changes whatever, nor are there likely to be any, and any woman who has the taste and talent to remake or freshen her gowns for the autumn has more than usual opportunities of doing so by means of the advantages offered her in the semi-annual sales, above referred to, and in the unchanged outlines of fashionable garments.

A rich shade of Roman blue taffeta silk, figured with tiny dots on white satin, forms a pretty waist, if made as follows: The back has a double pointed yoke and the collar is decorated with white silk gimp. Three rows of this narrow trimming start from the shoulders, and, curving toward the front of the waist, give the effect of a miniature zouave jacket—"miniature" because the lowest band does not reach within three inches of the waist line. Blue ribbon folds hold the fullness at the back of the waist, and instead of forming a straight line, they are carried to a point with a number of falling loops and ends at the left side.

A pretty little gown of tea rose pink French zephyr goods, with tiny raised lines of white, worn by a very pretty debutante at a noted summer resort, is made with one of the popular two-story skirts, the lower one cut with a decided flare and set on to the upper half with two very small ruffles bordered with very narrow pink ribbon. The edge of the large lower flounce has three matching frills. The waist is in surplice form, shirred into yoke shape; and also at the waist, where a soft pink silk sash is carried twice around and knotted on the left side at the back. Shoulder ruffles trimmed with rows of the ribbon outline the yoke, and lace pleatings and folds of pink silk form the becoming collar and wrist trimmings.

There never was a summer when such diversity was shown in the varied forms of coat, jacket, blouse and fancy waist models as there is in this one. The Zouave and the Mikado jacket are very short and rounded at all the edges. The Etons have usually curved fronts, with plain revers, and are cut straight across the back and fitted very snugly. The mess jackets have a little point at the back, and are long enough there to hide the belt and show a great smartness of trimmed revers in front. Sometimes the square fronted Russian shapes are shortened and worn over a very trim fitted waistcoat, which shows at the throat a linen collar and severely English tie. Again it assumes a prettiness of effect with its finely pleated yoke, enriched with lace insertion and a jabot of lace to match from neck to belt ribbon.

Says a writer on fashionable gems: "The chrysophrase stone of the New Jerusalem, standing between the topaz and the jacinth, is the popular stone of the moment. It is the antithesis of the fatal opal in the lore of superstition, and promises good luck to all who wear it. The English Queen is never without a bit of this opaque green stone set in diamonds or pearls, and the Prince of Wales almost invariably includes it among the wedding presents of gems he makes. It tones admirably with the popular colorings of the day, harmonizing also with many of the revived modes. This jewel is found in Silesia and was extremely popular in England during the reign of Dutch William, who introduced it, and likewise with Queen Anne and Queen Bess."